A man and his wife deeply wanted a child for many years, and eventually they were granted their deepest wish. During the wife's pregnancy she developed a craving for rampion. Her husband knew that his wife could not overcome her craving for the plant so he collected the rampion, and in the process he completely ignored the large wall surrounding the garden containing the coveted plant. After the plant was collected the wife mad a salad and quickly ate it, but now that she has had a taste of the plant she had to have more. On the husbands second trip he came across the owner of the garden, a witch. She was furious and rather than kill him she decided to give all her rampion to the man as long as she could have his child. The man, so afraid for his life, readily agreed to this. When the child was born the witch came and took the baby after naming her Rapunzel. When Rapunzel was twelve she witch locked her in a tower. She visited Rapunzel every day and used Rapunzels long golden hair to get into the tower. After many years a prince was riding by and he heard Rapunzel singing and her had to know who's voice it was. So he waited and watched how the witch got into the tower and asked for Rapunzel to trow down her hair. When Rapunzel realized there was a man in her tower she was afraid but she quickly realized that he would not harm her. she agreed to marry him, but he had to visit her every day and bring a skein of silk to make a ladder. One day Rapunzel let slip that a prince was visiting her and the watch was so angry that she cut Rapunzel's hair and cast her away into the dessert. The next day the prince came and when he was in the tower and realized that it wasn't Rapunzel he jumped out of the tower. The prince fell into thorns and he was blinded. The prince was wandering around for a long time when he came across Rapunzel and her twins. Rapunzel recognized him and fell into his arms crying. Her tears healed his eyes and the prince took her and their children home to the castle.
History of the Tale
The story of Rapunzel comes from Italy and France, though it is more widely known as one of the tales of the Grimm brothers. The first written version, Pentamerone, was written in 1637 by Giambattista Basile. The heroine, Petrosinella, had a different ending than the Grimm brothers' Rapunzel. Petrosinella eloped before they had the chance to suffer.
In 1697, another story popped up, Persinette, by Charlotte Rose. This story is much more like Rapunzel, but with more suffering for the heroine and her prince even after being reunited. J.C.F. Schulz translated Persinette into German, and changed Persinette into Rapunzel. Schilz is said to be the source of the Grimm brothers' Rapunzel. The Grimm brothers collected the oral stories and turned them into books, not realizing that there were pervious written versions of the tale.
Previous Versions Compared to This One
persinette
In Giambattista Basile's tale, a pregnant woman steals parsley from an ogress' garden, but she is caught and ends up promising her child to the ogress. After the child, Petrosinella, is born the ogress locks her into the tower. After many years, a prince meets Petrosinella, Petrosinella engineers her escape from the tower, and takes her away to his home.
In Persinette, the heroine and the prince meet in her tower and meet every night. After a while the heroine mentions the prince and she is punished severely and cast out of the tower. The prince coming the next day to visit her finds her gone. The heroine and the prince spend many years searching for each other and when they do find each other they still have trouble. Fortunately the fairy that locked the heroine into the tower decided to be reasonable and the heroine and the price lived happily ever after.
Interpretations
Rapunzel has many interpretations; one is about the lure of the forbidden fruit: the women who was pregnant with Rapunzle wanted the plant that was in the witches garden (the Garden of Eden) and the prince wanted a girl who was trapped in a tower.
Another interpretation is Rapunzel's lack of maternal love and the authority figures in her life who think of themselves before they think of her and Rapunzel pays the price.
This is also a story of freedom, the mother is trapped by her desires for the witches plant, the husband is a save to his wife’s desires, and Rapunzel is trapped by the witch.
In Rapunzel the prince used Rapunzel's hair to climb into the tower, and in the end of the story Rapunzel's hair was cut. Rapunzel's cut hair symbolizes moving forward and being let go by her captor who kept the hair as a keep sake.
A feminist interpretation would be that beauty attracts a man, and that a man might have good intentions but in the end he won’t be the one who saves you.
A literal interpretation is that everything comes with a price, don’t count on a man to save you, it is easy to be deceived, tears can heal injuries, and physical appearances matter.
Fairy Tale in Allusions
The Bible was referenced in Rapunzel by the lure of forbidden fruit, by the mother wanting the rampinon in the witch’s garden.
Rapunzel refers to an unexpected happy ending and could occur in anything not just a romance story.
The rampinon refers to the fact that everything has a price.
The witch was left in the tower and Rapunzel and the prince getting away shows that the "bad guys" never win.
Annotated List of Modern Adaptations
Movies
Rapunzel (1979)
Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)
Tangled (2010)
Shrek and Shrek theThird (2007)
Books
Petrosinella (1634 -1636) by Gaimbattista Basile
Blue Bird (1697) by Olivia Newton-John (translated in 1892 from French)
Persinette by Mademoiselle de la Force
Rapunzel (1790) by Friedrich Schultz
Die Padde (1812) by Johanne Gustav Busching
Rapunzel by the Grimm Brothers
Rapunzel (1998) by Paul O.Zelinsky
Golden (2006) by Cameron Dokey
Bitter Greens (2012) by Kate Forsyth Click here to go to Anne Arundle County Public Library Rapunzel book list
TV Shows
Faerie Tale Theater (1983)
Into the Woods (1991)
The 10th Kingdom (2000)
My Own Version
There was a man and a woman who had a child. Unfortunately when the child was born the couple realized that the child was sick. They immediately called upon the midwife for help. The midwife remembered an old remedy but it required a plant that was not easy to obtain. The midwife always harbored a secret longing for a child, so as a price for her efforts to get the plant the midwife asked for the child as her payment, the parents only wanting their child to be healthy agreed to save their sick child. The midwife after collecting the plant made a drink and fed it to the baby. After the baby was well enough to move the midwife took her home and raised her. After her 12th birthday the midwife locked the child, Rapunzle, into a tower. After many years, Rapunzels loneliness ended. A rich young heir to the movie making empire was lost in the woods. He heard stumbled into the valley where Rapunzels tower was hidden. After scaling the tower, he entered and scared Rapunzel half to death. After an hour of talking, he got Rapunzel to calm down and even agree to marry him. The heir only wanted Rapunzel to marry him because of her looks and the fact that marrying someone would get his family off his back about marrying. The heir visited her every night and brought some fabric each time to make a ladder for Rapunzels escape. Unfortunately after one of the heir’s visits he left behind a jacket, the midwife, who visited Rapunzel every week, found the jacket and knew that Rapunzel had met a man. Disgusted that Rapunzel would shame herself in such a manner the midwife threw Rapunzel out and shaved her head. The midwife then used Rapunzels hair to trick the heir and kill him. One the heir was in the tower and he saw that it was not Rapunzel he jumped out the window before the midwife could cause him harm. The heir returns to his home and is supprised to find the midwife there writing for him. The midwife threw a knife at him and cut his face. The heir, now blind, fled the house. After a year of wandering around searching for Rapunzel, he surprised himself by realizing that he loved her. Rapunzel, who lived nearby, saw him and hugged him, she took him into her home and the heir met his twin children. The children afraid of their father’s blindness began to cry and their tears healed him. Now the heir could see again her took Rapunzel and their children to his home. They loved happily ever after.
Rapunzel Summary
History of the Tale
The story of Rapunzel comes from Italy and France, though it is more widely known as one of the tales of the Grimm brothers. The first written version, Pentamerone, was written in 1637 by Giambattista Basile. The heroine, Petrosinella, had a different ending than the Grimm brothers' Rapunzel. Petrosinella eloped before they had the chance to suffer.In 1697, another story popped up, Persinette, by Charlotte Rose. This story is much more like Rapunzel, but with more suffering for the heroine and her prince even after being reunited. J.C.F. Schulz translated Persinette into German, and changed Persinette into Rapunzel. Schilz is said to be the source of the Grimm brothers' Rapunzel. The Grimm brothers collected the oral stories and turned them into books, not realizing that there were pervious written versions of the tale.
Previous Versions Compared to This One
In Giambattista Basile's tale, a pregnant woman steals parsley from an ogress' garden, but she is caught and ends up promising her child to the ogress. After the child, Petrosinella, is born the ogress locks her into the tower. After many years, a prince meets Petrosinella, Petrosinella engineers her escape from the tower, and takes her away to his home.
In Persinette, the heroine and the prince meet in her tower and meet every night. After a while the heroine mentions the prince and she is punished severely and cast out of the tower. The prince coming the next day to visit her finds her gone. The heroine and the prince spend many years searching for each other and when they do find each other they still have trouble. Fortunately the fairy that locked the heroine into the tower decided to be reasonable and the heroine and the price lived happily ever after.
Interpretations
Another interpretation is Rapunzel's lack of maternal love and the authority figures in her life who think of themselves before they think of her and Rapunzel pays the price.
This is also a story of freedom, the mother is trapped by her desires for the witches plant, the husband is a save to his wife’s desires, and Rapunzel is trapped by the witch.
In Rapunzel the prince used Rapunzel's hair to climb into the tower, and in the end of the story Rapunzel's hair was cut. Rapunzel's cut hair symbolizes moving forward and being let go by her captor who kept the hair as a keep sake.
A feminist interpretation would be that beauty attracts a man, and that a man might have good intentions but in the end he won’t be the one who saves you.
A literal interpretation is that everything comes with a price, don’t count on a man to save you, it is easy to be deceived, tears can heal injuries, and physical appearances matter.
Fairy Tale in Allusions
The Bible was referenced in Rapunzel by the lure of forbidden fruit, by the mother wanting the rampinon in the witch’s garden.Rapunzel refers to an unexpected happy ending and could occur in anything not just a romance story.
The rampinon refers to the fact that everything has a price.
The witch was left in the tower and Rapunzel and the prince getting away shows that the "bad guys" never win.
Annotated List of Modern Adaptations
MoviesRapunzel (1979)
Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)
Tangled (2010)
Shrek and Shrek theThird (2007)
Books
Petrosinella (1634 -1636) by Gaimbattista Basile
Blue Bird (1697) by Olivia Newton-John (translated in 1892 from French)
Persinette by Mademoiselle de la Force
Rapunzel (1790) by Friedrich Schultz
Die Padde (1812) by Johanne Gustav Busching
Rapunzel by the Grimm Brothers
Rapunzel (1998) by Paul O.Zelinsky
Golden (2006) by Cameron Dokey
Bitter Greens (2012) by Kate Forsyth
Click here to go to Anne Arundle County Public Library Rapunzel book list
TV Shows
Faerie Tale Theater (1983)
Into the Woods (1991)
The 10th Kingdom (2000)
My Own Version
There was a man and a woman who had a child. Unfortunately when the child was born the couple realized that the child was sick. They immediately called upon the midwife for help. The midwife remembered an old remedy but it required a plant that was not easy to obtain. The midwife always harbored a secret longing for a child, so as a price for her efforts to get the plant the midwife asked for the child as her payment, the parents only wanting their child to be healthy agreed to save their sick child. The midwife after collecting the plant made a drink and fed it to the baby. After the baby was well enough to move the midwife took her home and raised her. After her 12th birthday the midwife locked the child, Rapunzle, into a tower. After many years, Rapunzels loneliness ended. A rich young heir to the movie making empire was lost in the woods. He heard stumbled into the valley where Rapunzels tower was hidden. After scaling the tower, he entered and scared Rapunzel half to death. After an hour of talking, he got Rapunzel to calm down and even agree to marry him. The heir only wanted Rapunzel to marry him because of her looks and the fact that marrying someone would get his family off his back about marrying. The heir visited her every night and brought some fabric each time to make a ladder for Rapunzels escape. Unfortunately after one of the heir’s visits he left behind a jacket, the midwife, who visited Rapunzel every week, found the jacket and knew that Rapunzel had met a man. Disgusted that Rapunzel would shame herself in such a manner the midwife threw Rapunzel out and shaved her head. The midwife then used Rapunzels hair to trick the heir and kill him. One the heir was in the tower and he saw that it was not Rapunzel he jumped out the window before the midwife could cause him harm. The heir returns to his home and is supprised to find the midwife there writing for him. The midwife threw a knife at him and cut his face. The heir, now blind, fled the house. After a year of wandering around searching for Rapunzel, he surprised himself by realizing that he loved her. Rapunzel, who lived nearby, saw him and hugged him, she took him into her home and the heir met his twin children. The children afraid of their father’s blindness began to cry and their tears healed him. Now the heir could see again her took Rapunzel and their children to his home. They loved happily ever after.